


"I'm your homescreen?" aka, the sickfic

by j_obsessed



Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: Best Friends, Concerned Joe Root, Confessions, Cute Ending, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:27:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27149378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_obsessed/pseuds/j_obsessed
Summary: Look. I wanted to write Joe looking after Jos. Because there's not enough of that around. So I did.
Relationships: Jos Buttler/Joe Root
Comments: 11
Kudos: 19





	"I'm your homescreen?" aka, the sickfic

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written in /days/, so I hope this is enjoyable and cute, and since we're coming out of flu season, I also hope it's relevant <3 I love you all and I hope you've all been getting lots of hugs!

Jos has played actual entire five-day test matches, in three-test series, while battling dehydration, (suspected) coronavirus, cases of flu, muscle strains, torn ligaments and whatever other injuries that occur when you’re a full-time athlete. There is no way in hell that a cold is keeping him from training. No way in fucking hell. He dropped three catches, last test series. _Three,_ for god’s sake. He’s going to training. Cold be damned.

He’s not irresponsible, or reckless. The moment he started getting sniffly two days ago he sent Joe to Morgs’ apartment (much to the chagrin of Ben and Mark, but they’ll survive), and he went and got himself a COVID test. It’s since come back negative, so he’s not endangering anyone’s life or anything stupid like that. He drags himself out of bed and shoots a quick message to his best friend.

**10:04 Jossy**

Sorry, running late

Tell Jonny I'll be there ASAP, please

**10:04 Joey**

Are you feeling alright?

**10:04 Jossy**

Absolutely.

**10:04 Joey**

Jos.

**10:05 Jossy**

I'm fine, Joey. 

Promise.

**10:05 Joey**

Okay. Make sure you pack the right stuff. 

**10:06 Jossy**

Yeah Joey, I've got my keeping gloves, thank you for that

**10:06 Joey**

Jossy you know that's not what I meant 🙄🙄🙄

Two bottles of water

Throat lozenges

Aspirin

Tissues 

Tea

Bring Gatorade too, you'll need it

**10:06 Jossy**

I'm tempted to say yes mom 

But ok, I'll make sure I bring...

All that.

He (as usual, don’t ask) obeys Joe’s instructions and hauls himself around the apartment collecting all the crap that his captain has told him to pack, mentally checking off each thing as he shoves it into his kitbag.

It’s only two hours, that’s all. He can come back, take a hot shower, curl up in bed and be dead to the world for fifteen years. His phone starts chiming again, and there are give or take a hundred more messages from Joe. Jos has to suppress a laugh because the captain always gets a bit… _paranoid…_ about him when he gets sick.

It’s not that Joe doesn’t get sick, or that he doesn’t experience the same things, because, believe it or not, the fluffy blonde is also human. However, he does bounce back a lot faster, and can usually kick an illness in two to three days, and without needing too much help. Mostly because he doesn’t do dumb shit like show up to training when he’s unwell.

It’s not that Jos is horrendous to look after when he’s sick. (Ben, Mark, Eoin, Ali, Jimmy and even Stuart are all rolling their eyes. Jos is a fucking nightmare when he’s unwell. Not because he complains and whinges, because Jos is not a whinger, but mostly because he’s stubborn and refuses to listen to any sort of helpful advice).

It’s just that Joe does not like it when his best friend is sick. Simple as that. It worries him when the people he ~~loves~~ ~~adores~~ _cares for_ aren’t 100%, and he tends to get a little protective. Especially since Jos has keeping training today, and thus Joe won’t be around in the event that something _does_ happen to his best friend. He trusts his team, of course he does, without a doubt, no questions asked. But when it comes to Jos, he’d really rather just be there himself.

-

Jos does make it through training. Sure, there are a few concerned looks from Foakes and Jonny, but he shrugs them off with a “just didn’t get much sleep last night, not to worry lads.” Still, he makes it back to the changeroom in relatively one piece. As he’s packing his gear up, he realises how shaky his palms are, and how blurred his vision is. His car isn’t parked too far away, but before he can stop himself, he crumbles to the floor. It’s not very graceful, and it’s quite likely that he’s made an awful racket, but he’s a little too dazed to think about it. He tips his head against his kitbag and takes a breath. His last thought is _Joe is gonna fucking kill me._

Briefly he registers someone else entering the changeroom, before he gives in to the fatigue.

-

Ben can tell, from the moment Joe walks in and places his kit down, strapping on his batting pads from _right_ to _left,_ rather than _left_ to _right,_ that something is not right. The blonde batsman is pacing across the turf, back and forth with a very nervous expression. The ginger is mildly concerned, because nothing really phases Joe, at least, not to this extent… _Unless…_

“Joe?”

The blonde doesn’t respond, only lets out a sigh and continues his very distracting pacing.

“Joe!”

“Hm? What?”

“What’s wrong with you?”

Joe gives him a deadpan stare, completely unamused, which, is not like him at all. He'd usually get a teasing quip, or a laugh. Definitely not a deadpan stare. Ben figures something is _actually_ wrong. He stands up and pulls Joe to sit next to him. “What is it? What’s got you so nervous?”

“Ah, well-” Joe scratches at the stubble on his cheek, and scrunches his nose up, kissing his teeth. “Jos isn’t well.” Ben gives him a perplexed look.

“How does this… affect you? He got tested, didn’t he? He’s fine. You’re staying with us anyway; you’re not going to get sick.” Ben keeps prodding, hoping that maybe Joe will finally let it slip that-

“I was just thinking that maybe we should finish up early you know, I don’t want him to get worse and- I’m just really worried about him.”

“Joe. You’re being a bit paranoid. If he decided to come to training, he can’t be that bad. Jos is reasonable. He’s not going to show up if he’s in that bad of a condition. The way you look, had I not been clued in, I’d assume he was in the hospital or something.”

Joe blanches at the thought and swallows thickly. Ben cringes, maybe that was a step too far. “Jos is not unreasonable, but you know that he wouldn’t miss keeping training. Especially not after the last test series. They went at him really hard, and if word got out that he skipped a keeping session, of all things, even if he was sick, the media would ruin him.”

Ben gives Joe another soft stare, and the test captain sighs. “I’m just going to-”

Jonny comes running onto the field, almost bashing into his boyfriend in the process. Chris jumps out of the way hurriedly. “Joe!”

The blonde stands quickly, whipping his head around to the source.

“Jos has passed out and-”

“Fucking _shit-”_ is all he can say, before he’s running into the changerooms. Jonny didn’t even say where Jos was, but, Joe’s always had a bit of a sixth sense for the blonde keeper anyway. Running in, and seeing Jos sprawled across the floor beside his kit, heat pouring off him in waves and breathing heavily, completely unconscious, is not something Joe was ever going to be prepared for.

He places his hand extremely carefully over Jos’ forehead, being extremely careful not to jolt or startle the keeper. “Fucking _hell_ Jossy, why do you do this to me?” There’s suddenly a very loud clatter, possibly a door flinging open, and Jos jars upwards in shock. Joe’s prepared for it, and holds his wrist tightly, while moving a hand to brace the keeper’s head so he doesn’t hit it against the carpeted floor.

“J-Joe?”

_“Fuck-”_

“Why am I on the floor?”

“That’s a damn good question.” Joe is in two minds, as to whether he should absolutely blow up at Jos for even considering coming to training today, or tugging him into his chest and holding him there in overwhelming relief. “You were just exhausted, Jossy, it's okay, you just fell asleep,” he manages, moving Jos to sit upright, back against the wall. “Can I take you home?”

“You- m’supposed to ask you that, not like this- was supposed to be romantic-” Jos’ fingers clutch into Joe’s training shirt, and for a second the smaller blonde is a little speechless at just how _trusting_ Jos is of him.

Then, what the keeper’s said catches up with him. Joe flushes beetroot red and coughs in mild shock. “Baby focus for me, lemme take you back home, so you can rest.”

“Mmm, ‘kay, but I want my Joey-”

Joe creases an eyebrow in concern but goes with it. “Okay, Jossy, whatever you want. First let’s go home. I need you to rest.”

When he puts his hand back on Joe’s forehead, he grimaces at the sheen of sweat, and abnormal temperature of the skin. Jos is running extremely warm, and Joe just wants to get him home, because seeing him like this, is not very nice. Jos’ head drops forward into Joe’s chest, and the captain runs his hand through his keeper’s hair softly. “Mkay Joey.”

“Good.”

As much muscle that Joe’s put on over the past few years, he’s probably not strong enough to pick Jos up just yet. He knows this, which is why he fires off a text to Ben and Jonny, asking them to please come help and get Jos into his car. The two gingers arrive almost immediately, and Joe wonders if they’ve been standing at the door this entire time. It’s more than a little scary that Jos doesn’t protest to being picked up and carried into the car.

Jos knocks out the second Joe leans over to buckle his seatbelt and stays asleep the entire ten-minute drive back to their apartment. He does, however, blink awake as the engine kills. Joe braces him as they walk into their living room, kitbags left in the car without a care, because there are more precious things Joe needs to take care of.

He lies Jos down on the couch and winces as the keeper shivers. “Joey? What’s happening?”

“You’ve got a fever,” Joe whispers, fingers playing softly across the back of his keeper’s hand. “I’ll be back love, just going to get you some medicine, and a change of clothes okay?”

“I’m cold.”

“And blankets. I’ll look after you baby, I promise.” Anger completely forgotten Joe races around the house on autopilot, with the singular mission of _I have to make sure Jos is okay. I need him to be okay._

He quickly tugs Jos’ shirt off, replacing it with a softer one, and tucks their blanket over his shoulders. Before he lets Jos lie back down, he sits down next to him, pops out a Tylenol and coerces him to take it. Again, the fact that this doesn’t take much work is a little worrying. “I’m just going to go get my phone from the car, and call-” the keeper’s fingers clasp the front of his shirt, and Jos shakes his head, and then groans at the movement. “Don’t. Need to know where I am. Use mine,” he sighs as he quickly falls asleep.

As smoothly as he can, Joe twists himself around, tugging Jos’ phone from his pocket. Cautious not to wake him up, he leans into the corner of the sofa, resting the keeper against his chest. Once Jos' breathing evens out, Joe doesn’t dare move a muscle.

If this is how Jos is comfortable, this is how they’re going to stay.

He presses the home button on Jos’ phone and lets out a surprised breath at the lock screen, which is a photo of their ODI squad, on the beach in Antigua. Unfortunately, Joe’s never been the type to share passwords, so he’s not 100% sure of Jos’ code. He tries Jos’ birthday (because that is definitely something the keeper would do), and he also tries Ben’s birthday. Neither work. He tries his own birthday and is only a little disappointed when it doesn’t unlock. The last thing he tries, is an odd combination of numbers.

655665

He grins when the home screen comes into view, and then again at the image that it actually is. _“Oh,”_ he whispers to himself, smiling as he presses the phone to his chest, just beside where Jos is nestled.

He takes a minute to smile, before dialling. When Ben picks up the phone, and hears Joe over the line, _and_ is notified that Jos is asleep, and thus concludes that Joe has somehow gotten access to Jos’ phone, the ginger _has_ to say something.

“If you so much as mess with him-”

_“Ben.”_

“I’m kidding. You’d never. Keep us updated, do you want me to bring you both some food?”

“That’s okay. I think he’ll be asleep for a while, I’ll make us some soup once he’s awake.”

“Okay Joey, let us know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Benny.”

“Also tell Jos that he’s an idiot.”

“Fully planning on that.”

When Jos finally stirs an hour later, Joe can finally move. Carefully, he untangles himself from the keeper, who groans in discontent. Joe apologises softly and covers him with the blanket again, before he stretches out his back and arms, heading into the kitchen and pulling out vegetables and chicken stock.

Thankfully, Jos is too out of it to argue with anything that Joe tells him to do, so when the younger blonde sits beside him and holds a bowl of soup, he eats without any fuss. “M’sorry Joey,” he coughs out, looking up at his best friend with wide eyes, “I didn’t mean for this-”

“Shush. Come here. You’re going to be okay, just let me take your temperature, and then we can go to sleep.” When the thermometer reads 38.0, a significant improvement from 39.0 a few hours ago, Joe’s content to let himself relax.

It’s almost 9 pm when Jos finally wakes up looking _better._ Joe’s been sat at the other end of the sofa with Jos’ legs in his lap, brushing his thumb over the keeper’s calf for the better part of three hours. Very quietly, Jos says “um, hi.”

“Morning,” Joe responds, prompting an adorable nose scrunch from the other blonde.

“How’d you get stuck looking after me?”

“I wouldn’t let anyone else drive you home.”

Jos blinks. “Oh.” Joe gives him a soft smile and flips the page of his book. “Uh. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“You should be.”

“Are you angry with me? I didn't- I didn't want to upset you. I just knew what would happen if I didn't make the session.”

It’s asked so _softly,_ that even if he wanted to, Joe couldn’t say that he was angry. Or scared absolutely shitless. He folds the top corner of his page, and hurriedly throws the book onto the counter, opening his arms so Jos can crawl into them. “Of course I'm not angry. I know why you did what you did. You're still an idiot though.”

Jos huffs out a breath. “I deserve that. Thank you for taking care of me, Joey.”

“Of course Jos.” _Deep breaths Joe. Breathing, remember?_ “Always.”

"Mm." The keeper burrows his face tighter against Joe’s chest, seeking out a heartbeat. It’s unsteady and irregular, and it makes him look up. “S’everything okay?”

“I just-” The younger blonde takes another steadying inhale. “I’m your home screen photo?”

“Yeah. You are. Wait, how do you know this.”

“You must have been pretty out of it... You gave me your phone to call Ben.”

“How’d you figure out the-” Joe gives him a very pointed look. “Oh, right, nevermind. So, uh- is that, is that okay?”

Joe runs a hand back through the keeper’s hair, and laughs softly when Jos’ eyes slip shut, leaning into the touch. “I really want to kiss you, but I think I’ll wait until you’re not a step from death’s door hm?”

Jos grins and presses his forehead back against Joe’s collarbone. “Yeah. I think that can be arranged.”


End file.
